European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 22, 1968, Darmstadt, Hesse Page 8 the stars and stripes russians restore Iron curtain with invasion by k. C. up the Kremlin rolled Down the Iron curtain again in Europe and put Back the political clock to the grim period of the cold War. The invasion of Czechoslovakia has revealed the soviet Leader ship is determined to secure it East european Empire at All costs even if it Means outright aggression against one of its move was evidently care fully prepared and in open Vio lation of the recent understand ing reached with czech another East european leaders at Bratislava Little Over two week Sago. The full scale invasion was undertaken in cold blood with the Clear aim of restoring Ahard line regime in Prague fully subservient to soviet motives appear in the first place to be dominated by Security considerations aimed at closing the alleged Gap in the russian defense line across East soviets feared the line had been broken by the czechs threatening flirtation with the Iron curtain has now been rolled Down across the East european Border. The move foreshadows a period of Tough line Rule throughout the communist decision to invade was taken at an emergency meeting of the Central committee of the soviet communist party tues Day. The move had apparently Bee carefully prepared Over the past two weeks with the regimes of Poland and East Germany Al most immediately after the brotherly Accord was reached at the Bratislava Summit aug. 5.the Kremlin leadership Dently realized Prague s Liberal izing regime of Alexander dub Cek was getting the full support of the nation and feared the hardliners were losing out Hope Lessly. The indications were that the forthcoming party Congress in Prague Early next month would oust the remaining hard Core of its Moscow oriented members which would give the Dubcek regime a free hand to carry out the liberalization program. Two issues were at stake russian feared that Czecho Slovakia would increasingly loosen its ties with the East bloc and thus considerably weaken the already shaky Warsaw pact defense alignment leaving Large defense Gap along the Bor Der with West Kremlin moreover feared the Cech liberalization would set off an Avalanche of liberalization do out Poland k s my u Mirou Hine Kremlin a ,.vi prep am to to Hussi aged Tell Anvil to so has ended All he h trained so for by i Smeach comm Psi la in leads Monist Lovci Sirni. The repercussions within parties Malm the " largest in Kuru ? and Italy i i Ria ,0momentous. W . Strength in Europe at Low by Fred s. Hoffman a military write Washington a the soviet troop movement int Czechoslovakia came at a time when the . Seventh army Backbone of West Europe s de sense is at its lowest strengthen years. Because of the balance of pay ments problem . Army forces in West Germany have been Cut to about 200,000 men and Are due to drop even fur ther by sept. 30. The . Army had about273,000 soldiers arrayed along the Iron curtain during the Ber Lin crisis of 1961. . Tactical air strength also has been Cut to ease the Gold Dollar Drain and to beef up .air Power elsewhere. The air Force s tactical fighter strengthen West Germany is Down to five squadrons. Because of this and even More because the United states has about 543,000 men pinned Down in the Vietnam War the last problem . Military Lead ers wish to face at this time is a crisis in Europe. The attitude of . Military men throughout the period of russian threats against Czecho Slovakia this summer could be summed up in this sentence leave us out we have enough problems of our United states has Mili tary commitment to Czechoslovakia nor does it have even an implied moral commitment to that communist country which in the past has been As hostile tothe United states As any other East european communist state. American officers who have assessed the relative military strength of Czechoslovakia audits communist neighbors have Felt it would be suicide for the czechs to resist if invaded by Russia and other Warsaw pact armies. According to recent Esti mates a czech army of some 175,000 men in 14 divisions face overwhelming russian East German polish and other communist forces. The russian army has some 20divisions in East Germany plus four in Hungary and two in Poland. The russians have based about 900 tactical planes in East Germany alone. The East German army num Bers some 85,000 men in six divisions the polish army some185,000 men in 18 divisions. In All Czechoslovakia could Send aloft Only about 600 fighter planes most of them old Mode russian built migs. Developments in Czechoslovakia May Blunt efforts of some key . Senators to reduce .forces in Germany even further. Although the . Military chiefs have wish to get into the communist Wrangle the also have wish to reduce . Strength in year ago Gen. Earle g. Wheeler chairman of the join chiefs of staff told Congress that he and his colleagues Felt there is military justification for reduction of military forces in Central the putdown of american armed strength along the Iron curtain was ordered into effect nonetheless and is now Well reduction involves about 28,000 army men and about 5,000air Force troops. Technically these units Are tethered to . Forces in Europe that is they Are suppose to remain committed to the North Atlantic Alliance and Ina High degree of readiness to return to Europe if was immediate sign that the reduction would be re versed in the Light of the inva Sion of brought Home Are two invasion 2nd in 29 years for czechs by a. I. Goldberg new York a the in Vasion of Czechoslovakia lat tuesday night was the second in 29 years for the relatively Small cultural Republic that Rose from the ashes of world War Hitler s nazi armies moved into Bohemia and Moravia March 15, 1939, and Hitler paraded into Prague. Under the Munich agreement of september 1938 where Czechoslovakia had voice country raised a hand to Stop april 5, Konstantin von Neurath was installed As the German third Reich s top authority in the country. Karl her Mann Frak who later became known As the instigator of mass killings of hostages served then As state Secretary. The newly seized territories by Hitler s decree were declared a protectorate of nazi Germany. In 1948 when Klement Gott Wald the czechoslovak communist party Leader took Over Power from ailing aged presi Dent Edvard b e e a soviet troops were massed on the Northern Border in East Ger Many but did not move. To the South were hungarian troops committed to soviet stars and stripes columns nil policy. To the East were Poland s armies. The threat of soviet troop movements was credited by some observers with the Quick accession to Power by Gottwald. He was aided by a communist Hungary s Fate in 956 recalled Vienna up the invasion of Czechoslovakia came nearly 12 years after red army tanks moodily crushed a revolt by hungarians against communist Rule. For 13 epic Days the world then watched with bated breath As outnumbered outgunned Hun Garian Freedom fighters defied soviet military might. The Western nations cheered the hungarians but did not move to help , As now the United states was in the throes of presidential election. Britain and France then were launching their Suez invasion. The hungarians fought the revolt collapsed under the overwhelming weight of soviet Armor 2,700 hungarian Freedom fighters had lost their lives about 20,000 More were wounded More than 180,000 huddled to the West and parts of Central Budapest were in hungarian revolt began oct. 23, 1956, with a protest March through Budapest by 12,000 students demanding free Dom from communist oppression. By that evening the whole nation was in ferment and All communications with the outside world were out. A state of emergency was pro claimed throughout the country. Martial Law censorship and curfew were clamped Down. At Dawn on oct. 24 it was announced that Imre Nagy like Czechoslovakia s Alexander dub Cek a Liberal communist reformer had been named prime min ister. But behind Nagy s Back hard lining hungarian communist party Leader Ernoe Geroe invoked the Warsaw pact Alli Ance and called in soviet troops to help suppress the anti communist tanks already stationed in Hungary under the warsaw1 act moved on Budapest. Oriented left Wing of the social democratic party which gave the communist leaders leverage despite opposition of the majority of Czechoslovakia people to communist doctrines. The latest invasion came 29years, 11 months and 20 Days after the 1939 invasion. World War ii followed that excursion. For Czechoslovakia the fateful years have been 1938, 1948 and 1968. Soviet troops marched through the vac Laviske Square on May 11, 19415, As Friendly liberators. A few . Soldiers were in Prague on that Day but the main body of . Troops under Gen. George Patton was held at Pil sen 50 Miles West of Prague under orders that never have been fully explained. There have been allegations that Patton was held up because of insistence to general Eisen Hower s supreme Headquarters command that Only soviet troops be allowed to enter Prague. Soviet troops took Over posts the length and breadth of the country although the Czecho slovak government in exile under Benes had returned to re sume activity. Evacuation of soviet troops did not begin until late summer of 1945. Brigades of the 24th infantry division u tank Reid Ink it an artillery group and other units to Gether with four filter squad Rons. This will Liucc in West Ger Many two huh Siam cd infantry divisions and two tank divisions plus a brigade of tin 24th infantry division and two armoured cavalry regiments which Are about the size of brigades and which Are tank units functioning As a screening for along the More v u i r a b 11 invasion routes. Like army units in the United states and Elsrwlu-rt1, he seventh army was drained of experienced company level office Sand noncommissioned officers to support the i a. Buildup in Vietnam. As a result Many Young offi cers and noncom underwent what amounted to on the Job training with the seventh army diminishing the combat effectiveness of that army. However. Army officers say that u substantial number of Vietnam veterans completing their one year of War duty Arf being sent to Europe us replace ments and this is raising he fighting trim of the seventh army once again. Army Force in Europe for a time were drawn on for equip ment for Vietnam i the Bort notice. European edition col. Jami so Campbell Usa it. Col. F. S. Michael jr., Usan meet Proctor Elmer d. Than Henry 3. Epstein trait i an Autho Virad publication of hip in us. Armed four . The Star and Stripe i i1 Tamfer in chief us. 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